Arrow building

[GTel]

My paper tuning build is just 2 fiberglass sticks that you use for marking the driveway when you plow, 4 binder clips and a roll of construction paper from Lowe's. The paper was the only thing I didn't already own.

Sent from up in a tree

 

[Gamover06]

I found this to be an interesting podcast from John Dudley. He is very successful target archer as well as hunter for those you maybe unfamiliar with him.

The podcast focuses on arrow building and rating what HE feels is important in arrow building ranking them from 1-10 in importance.

‎Nock On Archery: PC 232 - Arrow Priorities with Aron Snyder on Apple Podcasts

‎Show Nock On Archery, Ep PC 232 - Arrow Priorities with Aron Snyder - May 29, 2019

podcasts.apple.com

I know I listened to this a while back. Some of the PRO archers you have to read through the BS a little because they are sponsored by companies. He could never come out and say RF is absolutely right and people should build arrows more his way then the way the manufacture charts say you should. Easton would drop him like a bad habit. Now I know that Dud does like heavier arrows and 13 to 15 FOC but he is mostly against high FOC and usually rips the theory apart due to his shooting background with team USA. I love his podcasts and have learned a lot from him.

 

[mattfish]

Agreed on listening with a cautious ear. I try try to read, watch and listen cautiously to everything. Tons of information out there. I just wanted to share other resources for consideration is all.

I think he makes valid points on prioritizing and considering all aspects when building a hunting arrow. Including arrow straightness, draw weight, draw length, form, shooting ability, hunting conditions just to name a few.

 

[docost99]

RF stresses that 340-350 spine arrows will lie to you. They will tune beautifully with field points, then do crazy things with broadheads. He also says shoot the arrow that shoots the best.

 

[SnakeEater]

I started watching RF videos a few weeks ago as well, ordered the 100g brass inserts, Ethics Ranch Fairy field point pack and Gold Tip Hunter XT 300 spine so I could start building me some adult arrows. I've been paper tuning for two decades but always with vanes on the arrow so bare shaft tuning was a new idea to me. I took vanes off two of my arrows and they only had a slight tear. Adjusted knock point and QAD and was shooting bare shaft bullets with my standard 340 spine 100g setup. Then I started shooting all the different Ethics fp weights on my 340 spine and on the new 300 spines. For the 340 spine, the 225g shot bullets. For the 340 spine, the 400g shot the best with less than a quarter inch tear. Going to try different length arrows to see if that helps gets bullets. All shots at 10 yards so the arrow doesn't have time to straighten out.

I've cut my own arrows with a dremel mounted in a jig I made years ago and square the ends/spin them on a Firenock tuner. I never thought of rotating the inserts while spinning and that helped straighten out a bunch of my arrows. I used the drill bit tip @Gamover06 wrote about to knock out the nocks, worked great - I whip the arrow a few times and it pushes the nock out a bit at a time. And use a small enough bit that it slides freely when you whip it.

I had never thought of tuning the nock and always just relegated those arrows to practice only. Started using the RF nock tuning method and was amazed how great it worked.

I haven't seen RF paper tune but he mentions Big Mike doing it and shows a pic of it. I tried using the RF method of lining up the arrow to where I was standing but that only gives representation of the horizontal plane. And how good is the human eye at telling something is actually straight? We wouldn't need levels and squaring devices if it was and I don't want my arrows to be 'good enough' if I'm spending this much time tuning them. The paper tuning shows both horizontal and vertical flight and let's you know with 100% certainty that the arrow is flying true or not, so definitely recommend it. I'm not sure how anyone would get all weights to fly perfectly based on what I experienced in this pic and what RF shows in Big Mike's paper tune results. I'm shooting Bowtech Carbon Knight 60# 31" arrows.

PS - All the ones that aren't marked are the 300 spine 400g while I was nock tuning. I end up right back where I started since I had already nock tuned with another weight.

Nice! I want to try 225grs on my 340 spine for next year. Would put me around 17% FOC and 500gr TAW. What lb and draw length/arrow length are you shooting?

 

[GTel]

Nice! I want to try 225grs on my 340 spine for next year. Would put me around 17% FOC and 500gr TAW. What lb and draw length/arrow length are you shooting?

60#, 29" draw. 30" 340sp arrow worked best with 275g head. Still tuning the 415g head on the 300sp arrow, 30" seems to be the best so far with that.

Sent from up in a tree

 

[sconnieman]

I found this to be an interesting podcast from John Dudley. He is very successful target archer as well as hunter for those you maybe unfamiliar with him.

The podcast focuses on arrow building and rating what HE feels is important in arrow building ranking them from 1-10 in importance.

‎Nock On Archery: PC 232 - Arrow Priorities with Aron Snyder on Apple Podcasts

‎Show Nock On Archery, Ep PC 232 - Arrow Priorities with Aron Snyder - May 29, 2019

podcasts.apple.com

I love Dudley and have been following him since i started archery. Ive listened to that podcast half a dozen times. I don't think he's wrong, but its definitely a different school of thought. He shoots twizzlers and flappers and is paid to do so. Of course he's not going to be an FOC nut. That said, its a very good podcast with a lot of good info.

 

[sconnieman]

Did you ever have a preconceived notion of how an event would play out before it took place? Happened to me today. Here's a teaser, I've been overdosing on the ranch fairy videos on arrow building...

I went to the archery shop today with the intention of picking up a few different arrow shafts to take home and bare shaft tune in various weights to determine what flies best. The two "young" fellas behind the counter looked at me like I was nuts and asked what am I trying to do so I told them I'm experimenting and want to build arrows in the 500 - 600gr range. They reacted as if I insulted their manhood! First came the questions of "why?" "what purpose?" "what are you hunting?" Then I was told stories of 50 yd pass through shots on elk with 400gr arrows and if that arrow weight takes down elk then it'll easily pass through a deer. And finally I got the"they'll never fly right" and "we tried that." Thrown in there somewhere was the fact that it's almost impossible to find broad heads heavier than 150gr. The ranch fairy said this would happen, lol.

Then they asked what bow I'm shooting and down that path we went. When I said that I don't see much improvements performance wise from my "old" bow to the latest offerings they agreed that speed and letoff are only marginally better but the $1100 one is more "efficient" so it shoots faster. They practically forced me to shoot it so I took it for a test drive and told them they're right, it is the greatest bow I have ever shot when in reality it felt good but no way on God's green earth did it knock my socks off or blow me away. Yes it's a tad smaller and lighter and incrementally smoother on the draw and shot cycle but again only just. I like to say "how much rounder can you make a wheel?"

So I left the shop without arrows and convinced I don't "need" a new bow.

Heck, i asked the guys at my shop if they could do a 4 fletch for me and said "yea but its pointless, why would you. Different vanes are just for looks"
I went home and bought a fletching jig.